Warning, Warning. Do NOT move to Perth.

The SW is nice. For a visit. But even after a few visits is gets a bit dull. Margs is pretty small and other than the wineries and a beach, not much else there. Over half the wineries are purely there for tourists - don't really produce good wine. Most have restaurants and there are some good ones, but incredibly expensive.

Bunbury, OK, but small and and at two and half hours to Perth just too far. It is a small town, so, too big to get a nice village feel and too small to have much going on. I didn't think it was that attractive. A sort of small Milton Keynes on sea.

What! 100,000 quid a month. :shocked: Different world to the one I live/lived in.

Yeah ..staff ..wages...premises...plus mortgage

Unless I've lost track here on who's posting the person going to Bunbury is on a 489 visa and is a Child Care Centre manager - personally in that position I would go much further south - Bussleton & Margaret River are wonderful, Albany and Denmark worth considering too. Anywhere South of Bussleton is nice as far as I know, these are the places people in Perth go to for holidays. I remember our first trip to Margs, my mum probably already knowing what I wasn't admitting to myself that Perth was a bit meh and asked why we didn't move there - the answer was simple 'work' but as a child care manager you can really work anywhere.

 

I presume you chose Bunbury because it is the first 'big' town in regional WA but although technically doable in a day, a 5 hour return trip is not something you'd do often and I would trade that for a much nicer place to live.

 

An awful lot of my friends in Perth were dreaming of the time they could retire 'down south' - one Family moved to Margaret River (& could have pretty much chosen anywhere as they were seriously rich), another bought land inland from Dunsborough with plans to build an eco holiday village, another with a second home in Walpole.

 

If I could live in South West Australia I might just move back!

Margeret river ...dunsborough...walpole ...busselton ...none of them for me ....personally loved my time in bunbury ...horses for courses I suppose

You don't sound so happy :-(

Perhaps he/she should change their user name to home and bitter.

Great post and sums up Perth in a nutshell.

 

Fake, False, Overpriced, Overvalued and a bubble that has well and truly burst.

 

As far as it being a retirement centre, you hit the nail on the head, it already has the reputation of being most isolated town and biggest retirement village in the world.

 

if we were young again, knew what we knew and were absolutely intent on migrating somewhere out of Britain, we would be trying to migrate to America or somewhere with a bit of vibe about it.

Sums up Perth in a nutshell for you. Reputation for being the biggest retirement village in the world?? Haha are you just making this up as you go along?

Margeret river ...dunsborough...walpole ...busselton ...none of them for me ....personally loved my time in bunbury ...horses for courses I suppose

Thank you you everyone who replied I agree horses for courses, I guess we need to arrive and spend some time travelling before we decide.

Thank you you everyone who replied I agree horses for courses, I guess we need to arrive and spend some time travelling before we decide.

I think that's the best bet, for us we like being closer to the city, I have a friend who would love to live in Mgt river but not practical for them at the moment.

Unless I've lost track here on who's posting the person going to Bunbury is on a 489 visa and is a Child Care Centre manager - personally in that position I would go much further south - Bussleton & Margaret River are wonderful, Albany and Denmark worth considering too. Anywhere South of Bussleton is nice as far as I know, these are the places people in Perth go to for holidays. I remember our first trip to Margs, my mum probably already knowing what I wasn't admitting to myself that Perth was a bit meh and asked why we didn't move there - the answer was simple 'work' but as a child care manager you can really work anywhere.

 

I presume you chose Bunbury because it is the first 'big' town in regional WA but although technically doable in a day, a 5 hour return trip is not something you'd do often and I would trade that for a much nicer place to live.

 

An awful lot of my friends in Perth were dreaming of the time they could retire 'down south' - one Family moved to Margaret River (& could have pretty much chosen anywhere as they were seriously rich), another bought land inland from Dunsborough with plans to build an eco holiday village, another with a second home in Walpole.

 

If I could live in South West Australia I might just move back!

Mandurah is

the first big town in regional WA only 45-60 minutes from central Perth.

Mandurah is

the first big town in regional WA only 45-60 minutes from central Perth.

Hi, we did look at Mandurah...but the peel region is a restricted area for 489 visa holders, checked WA website and I'm not clear if employment in Peel is counted as regional?

Hi, we did look at Mandurah...but the peel region is a restricted area for 489 visa holders, checked WA website and I'm not clear if employment in Peel is counted as regional?

Mandurah is within the 489 area.

I think that's the best bet, for us we like being closer to the city, I have a friend who would love to live in Mgt river but not practical for them at the moment.

Personally , I could retire in bunbury tomorrow ,and at one time that was a distinct possibility ,but its ebbing away .

Margaret river ...definitely not ...what is there to do ?

I want to be out and about ,especially as I get older ...not vegetating

Personally , I could retire in bunbury tomorrow ,and at one time that was a distinct possibility ,but its ebbing away .

Margaret river ...definitely not ...what is there to do ?

 

I want to be out and about ,especially as I get older ...not vegetating

I think like anywhere there is a difference between living somewhere and visiting - as someone who was bored with Perth and couldn't be happier in Scotland, I envy the lifestyle of the friends that live there, it is a proper community and the more temperate climate lends itself to a true outdoors lifestyle - not just water sports & the beach - but it's got that too.

Bunbury was always our stop-off on the way down south and I saw nothing wrong with it at all but nothing as a TOURIST to make me linger.

I think like anywhere there is a difference between living somewhere and visiting - as someone who was bored with Perth and couldn't be happier in Scotland, I envy the lifestyle of the friends that live there, it is a proper community and the more temperate climate lends itself to a true outdoors lifestyle - not just water sports & the beach - but it's got that too.

 

Bunbury was always our stop-off on the way down south and I saw nothing wrong with it at all but nothing as a TOURIST to make me linger.

Well I had 6 years living there and in the main,thoroughly enjoyed it .

Iam not saying i will retire there ,but I could do 4 months

Does anyone really call Margaret River 'Margs' I've lived here 12 years and never heard anyone refer to it in that way.

Does anyone really call Margaret River 'Margs' I've lived here 12 years and never heard anyone refer to it in that way.

I lived in Perth 5 years and it came out naturally in my post (& I hated the Australian way of shortening everything!) so I'm guessing yes

Most of our friends in Perth were born and bred there so presumably a locals thing? A quick google confirms it's commonly used.

Well I had 6 years living there and in the main,thoroughly enjoyed it .

Iam not saying i will retire there ,but I could do 4 months

That's why I emphasised I visited as a tourist, a very different thing.

I wouldn't be suggesting people came to the town I live on holiday but it's a great place to live.

And the poster was thinking of living there so your opinion is I'm sure very helpful to them - far more than us Perthities who passed through or read news reports on Meth.

I lived in Perth 5 years and it came out naturally in my post (& I hated the Australian way of shortening everything!) so I'm guessing yes

 

Most of our friends in Perth were born and bred there so presumably a locals thing? A quick google confirms it's commonly used.

Ha ha just realised it wasn't me that used it but I was very used to hearing it called that all the same so that's why I thought it was me

Does anyone really call Margaret River 'Margs' I've lived here 12 years and never heard anyone refer to it in that way.

One of my good friends was born and bread there and now lives there part time with her mum and part in Falcon and never heard her call it anything but Margs

Does anyone really call Margaret River 'Margs' I've lived here 12 years and never heard anyone refer to it in that way.

I guess its possibly because the people I may mix with are more BCF type people and more likely to head North than South. I've only ever been there once and whilst it was OK I wasn't compelled to rush back.

Does anyone really call Margaret River 'Margs' I've lived here 12 years and never heard anyone refer to it in that way.

Never ever heard anyone refer to it as Margs. I work almost entirely with Aussies, and when it's come up in conversation which it does quite regularly as we have a branch there where a few staff have worked, they refer to it as the Margaret River store.

Does anyone really call Margaret River 'Margs' I've lived here 12 years and never heard anyone refer to it in that way.

Yes,it must be all the northerners!

Yes,it must be all the northerners!

Well as a northerner I have never heard it referred to as Margs, only here.

Well as a northerner I have never heard it referred to as Margs, only here.

As a northerner, I've heard it and said it ... but heard it from Aussies and brits alike

I meant northerners as in North of Bunbury!